Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar: From Royalty to Political Arena

Oddly, the BJP's decision to field Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the former Mysore royal family, in the summer elections is connected to the security breach that occurred at the Lok Sabha in the winter of 2023.

The 32-year-old University of Massachusetts graduate, who is majoring in economics and English literature, was unexpectedly chosen by the BJP when it appeared that incumbent MP Pratap Simmha would be making a third run.

The 47-year-old hardline BJP member and former writer changed his name from Prathap Simha to Pratap Simmha after seeking numerological advice to increase his chances of obtaining a ticket and winning a hat-trick.

Strangely, the name change did not help him earn any favor, since he lost favor after two young people broke into the Lok Sabha on December 13, 2023, from the visitor's gallery, using permits that were provided by Simmha, or rather his office. The fact that the candidate won by 1,38,647 votes in 2019 didn't matter to the party.

With the BJP leaders, who had undoubtedly considered the possibility of fielding Simmha and handing the Congress a handle to whip them, no amount of explanation was effective.

The BJP was counting on Yaduveer's reputation as a Wadiyar family member when it chose him. He is the nephew of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar's final scion and the great-grandson of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the 25th and last maharaja to rule Mysore (now known as Mysuru).

Since the couple had no children, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, the widow of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, had adopted Yaduveer to carry on the family line.

Following his grand-uncle Srikantadatta, a four-term member of the Mysore Lok Sabha from the Congress camp, he is the first Wadiyar to run for office. When Srikantadatta ran for the seat on the BJP ticket in 1991 and then again in 2003 after joining the Congress again, he was unsuccessful.

Yaduveer is up against M. Lakshmana, a candidate for Congress and a prominent member of the Vokkaliga community. The youthful scion is solely reliant on his family's legacy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "accomplishments."

"You are all aware of our Prime Minister's accomplishments. Whether they be new airports, roads, doubled and electrified railway tracks, universities going from 400 to 1,000, medical colleges going from 349 to 700, or Vande Bharat trains going from zero to forty. Residents of Lingabudi Palya, which is located roughly 22 km from Mysuru city, were informed by the soft-spoken Yaduveer that "this is only a trailer," as our Prime Minister put it.

By 2047, the Prime Minister wants India to surpass the West, and he has set out to do it during the following 23 years. He repeated himself at subsequent corner meetings, saying, "You will see more development in the coming years."

In the battle for Mysuru, between the "royal" and the "commoners," Lakshmana is a member of a leadership group with strong ties to the local community.

Lakshmana withdrew from consideration for a ticket in the state elections of the previous year at the chief minister Siddaramaiah's request.

Lakshmana, a supporter of Siddaramaiah, acknowledged that the chief minister's home area is Mysuru, making it an esteemed contest. Like other candidates for Congress in the state, he is putting a lot of faith in the five promises made by the government.

"I've always wished to compete in this Mysuru tournament and beat Pratap Simmha. During a campaign, he told reporters, "But I am confident of winning this battle and don't believe that sentiments for the Wadiyar family would translate into votes."

Nonetheless, there are older people who continue to have great regard for the Wadiyars, such as Sembiah, a Vokkaliga farmer who lives in Remabai Nagara, about 23 kilometers outside the city.

"I was present when Srikantadatta, the former maharaja, went about meeting people. He told The Telegraph, "Our maharajas are very benevolent; they gave us land, water (for irrigation), electricity, and they educated our children by founding academic institutions."

Sembiah vowed to vote for Yaduveer because he was confident in his abilities. "He will be just as capable as his predecessors and is well-educated. He's got my vote, man in his late 60s said.

The constituencies in Mysore and southern Karnataka cast ballots on April 26.